| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 創作與英語文學研究所 === 91 ===
During the 4 years between 1989 and 1993, I worked at the refugee's camp in the outskirts of Thailand, which was supported by United Nations High Community for Refugees (UNHCR). one day, I drove to site 2 refugee camp which house 200,000 refugees, looking for a woman waiting to give birth. When I drove through the road between the camp and the nearby forest , I saw 2 skinny middle-age men. They wore patched old shirts with salon on their head; hurrying toward the camp, by running small steps one behind another, together lifting a tree trunk on their shoulders, hanging from it was a package wrapped by cloth. I thought, it must be some kindof animal, like wild boar, which caught during hunting. Gee, I wondered if they got another dish. I drove closer with curiosity, looking forward to find out the answer.
However, I was shocked when my eyes met the content of the package. It was not a wild boar, it was a human being; It was a mine victim. whose hands and legswhere bombed away, whose head and face were injured beyond recognition. Blood seep out in drops falling in the ground from his crushed body. This bundle of flesh was stile breathing. He was still alive. He was then sent to the Red Cross Hospital in the camp. After emergency treatment, his life was saved, but , all he could do was breathing nothing more.
There were thousands of cases like this in these camps which I had serviced. According to the surveyfrom International Red Cross, there had been about one million mine victims since 1975. Among those mine victims, 80% were civilians, and many were from neighboring indo-China Peninsula, and Cambodia had most victims.
Having been to those places full of violence. In comparison with the situations in the countries in Indo-China Peninsula, ruined by wars, we are so very fortunate. Their young people were as intelligent as we are but their talents were destroyed by wars, their opportunities were lost in the orderless social environments.For example, In Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and all the important traffic points, we saw thousands of thousands handicapped soldiers begging in the streets, homeless children searching for remains from garbage. Widows plowed in the farm land, young girls sold their bodies for survive. We can't help but ask, who caused these tearful tragedies? This happened not far from us, right here in our neighboring countries in Asia.
Cambodia was a rich country before it ran into red disaster. In 1970, communists invaded in Cambodia and split the regime there. Since then, the society of Cambodia has run into chaos, people there have operated a very poor life, and the means of the people have been used up. In 1975, the communist regime headed by Bopou replaced Republic of Cambodia headed by Longnou. Bopou governed the country by dictatorship and killing. He gave the order to confiscate all private properties and force people living in all large and small towns to move to countryside, mountains, and forests in only several hours. The people who made objection or moved late were all killed immediately. Millions of refugees fled to Thailand for protection and Cambodia became the war field of political wrestle in whole Asia. Cambodia stepped forward to peace under the mediation of United Nations on March 30, 1993 and started re-constructing its country after the war. Peace missions and humanistic rescue organizations from many countries had participated in this action and placed a great deal of labor force and material to assist Cambodia in the re-construction. However, many problems come along with the intervention of international powers. For example, the members of Japanese peace force brought “condoms” with them as one of their military equipment. On the red-light street in Phnonpenh, the cars marked with “UNTAC” (peace force of Unites Nations) parked in a raw before brothels. These peace missioners, who got high pay for their works here, performed their task of mediation at daytime and visited prostitutes at night. Finally, after several years, many carriers of AIDS now roam about in groups and make AIDS spread everywhere. Now the problem of AIDS becomes the second serious and uneasily removed one after mines at war fields.
Businessmen from all over the world invest money in the downtown of Phnonpenh City. The price of real estates there soars up and the difference of richness and poorness becomes bigger. The vagabonds coming from countryside bring their whole family to the downtown and sleep on the streets. People are busy for operating their life and do not trust the government any more. The purpose of making money is to prepare for fleeing away from calamities. The soldiers crippled due to the war do not forget to wear their uniform when they beg money on the streets. Many young people drink at street stands. Buildings that ruined for many years were renovated to be used as a place for entertainment.
It might be easy for a nation to re-construct their houses after experiencing the destroy of wars, but it is very difficult to re-construct humanity and morality, and the re-construction like this will surely last for several generations.
War not only destroys human civilization, but also completely discloses the greed and violence of human beings.
The heart-rending story of Cambodia is only a part of the problem existing among refugees in the global village. However, the cruelty of wars and sadness of immigrants spread in many corners of the world. The history needs witnesses, and the experience needs successors. It is my most urgent hope to succeed and spread literature heritages for those people.
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